Calangute was not the original name of
the beach, but a Portuguese distortion of the originally Goan name
of "Koli Gutti", which means the land of the fishermen.
Some people refer to it as Kolyianguttti, Kalangutti (village of art)
Kolngutt, Kongott or Konvallo-ghott ( pit of the coconut tree) because
of the abundance of coconut trees found here.
 Known
for its idyllic beauty, Calangute attracts thousands of tourists. It is
now Goa’s busiest and most commercialised resort. The beach is very
crowded during daytime with locals and tourists. Laid with golden sand
and no rocks, it is ideal for lazing around in the sun and swimming. The
beach stretch is full of shacks and stalls selling delicious seafood and
beer, seashell trinkets etc and hawkers selling sarongs. A lot of shows
are held on the beach including rock and pop shows, open air dances and
fetes. There are facilities for water sports activities such as para sailing,
water-skiing and wind surfing which starts by afternoon when the wind
is blowing in the right direction, and ends at sunset. A beginner can
take some diving lessons or embark on fishing trips and Dolphin cruises.
The road from the Calangute town to the beach
is lined with Kashmiri-run handicraft boutiques with their famous papier-mache
boxes, carpets and embroidery as well as a variety of bars and restaurants.
There is a Tibetan market with stalls selling Himalayan curios and
jewellery in the town. There are high quality textiles mainly from Rajasthan,
Gujarat and Karnataka. Over
all this beach is the perfect place to spend a holiday.
On the way to the beach there is a statue of Bandodkar,
Goa's first chief minister. The Kerkar Art Complex, located on the
beach is a popular center for exhibitions of arts and crafts of local
artistes. Concerts of Indian classical music and dance are held on Thursdays
and Fridays here. On the road to Mapusa (8km) stands Calangute's Church,
St Alex with its unusual dome and two towers. The interior is beautiful
with its architecture and the gold and white ornate altar with shell niches.
Places To Eat
There are plenty of good places to eat and drink.
Beach shacks are mostly simple semi open aired, palm leafed huts, which
specializes in sea food. All serve cold beer. Reggies Bar and Golden
Eye are good shacks.
Click
here for Restaurants in Calangute, Goa |
Beaches 
Calangute beach,
located 16km from Panaji, the capital of Goa is popularly known
as the 'Queen of the Goan Beaches'. This splendid palm-fringed beach is
the most popular holiday resort in Goa, often crowded with people. 
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